Below The Belt
by Wicked R
Summary: I just wanted everybody to care about Damon for a change. Please be aware that this story's main genre is hurt/comfort and I'll be concentrating on that side of things even more than usual. Eventual Delena with short DK detour.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Below the Belt

Disclaimers: I don't own any supernatural powers or anything else to do with TVD. If I had, Delena would happen a lot more often! Genre: Please be aware that this story's main genre is hurt/comfort and I'll be concentrating on that side of things even more than usual.

Rating: PG

Summary/Set: Bonnie would not leave the events of 3x15 unpunished.

Pairing: canon

Damon was not the slightest bit surprised when he woke in the middle of the night to a splitting headache and agonising cramps all over. He did kill Bonnie's mother after all, even if that state was only temporary. The vampire struggled to look around for the witch, try to reason with her somehow. The little witch would normally see sense and his genuine intentions behind his lamentable design and execution in the end, but not before giving out punishment as she saw fit. Of course her powers were getting stronger now and that meant she didn't actually need to be present to utilise this sort of magic and Damon had to deduce that was actually the case. He tried to consider how long the witch's anger could last in a way that channelled her emotions into the spell, more hoping, than assuming she was at least a bit like her ancestor Emily, in which case her irregular and unpredictable penalizations would be severe, but brief.

All sense of time gets distorted during such times of intense pain, so his reasoning mind had to presume it was only minutes that have past and not the hours it felt like while he bit his lips bloody in an effort not to cry out, but slowly, though surely his control slipped away from him and his escaped moans became groans and his groans became screams. It didn't really register with him that the light went on and Stefan came in, it was only when his brother grabbed him and turned his head towards him that Damon's eyes focussed on the younger Salvatore.

Stefan's senses didn't register danger, nor did he smell vervain, so he was at first at a loss at figuring out what could've been wrong. He sat on the bed urgently and held onto his brother by the arm, squeezing gently to attract his attention from whatever had him in its grip, "Damon! Damon, what happened?"

Damon gritted his teeth to be able to stop himself screaming and hiss out a few words, "feels like..witchheadsplit."

The slurry words didn't make it easy for Stefan to make out the words and the fact that his brother was not holding his head, but was curled up around his midsection confused Stefan further. He shook his head, "not werewolf bite, is it?"

Damon indicated a no and Stefan breathed a sigh of relief before focusing on the older vampire's scrunched up face again, urgency flooding through him, "you need to tell me how I can help. Blood?" He frowned, insides churning in sympathy as if that could take some of Damon's pain away.

"Call Elena.." And ask her to talk to Bonnie for me, Damon wanted to say, but it was way too long for him to manage. His fists dug into his stomach deeply in vain effort to try to break the spasms.

Stefan hesitated a second. Sometimes he still found it hard to take in that Elena and Damon took great comfort out of each other's friendship, or their relationship or whatever it was they had. "I need to go get my cell, I'll just be a moment," he leaned closer to Damon to assure him. At the little acknowledging nod his brother gave him, Stefan vampire sped away and back. He pressed speeddial at the same time as instinctively reaching out to rub his brother's arm as the older vampire struggled determined to keep his mouth shut and not alarm Elena with his inarticulate screams. Stefan would've wanted to give more comfort, but its not like they were on hugging terms. He almost forgot he had the phone in his hand till..

"Stefan?" Elena's slightly sleepy voice came through the ether, more alert by the second cause why would either of the Salvatores call her at that time of night if it wasn't something serious?

"I don't know what's wrong with Damon."

"Do you think I don't feel guilty enough that people always end up dying on my behalf?"

"It's not about that Elena. He's in a really bad way, lying in bed rigid with pain and I could think of only one thing that could cause this. If Esther wanted to retaliate, wouldn't she have had to do her spells on both of us? After all, she could have no idea which one of us severed the Bennett witchline, or could she?..Elena?" He pressed as there was a long pause at the other end.

"How long has he been like that?"

"I don't know, it could've been hours, I just came in. Why?"

"I think..I think it could be Bonnie. I can't talk to her, she doesn't want me around cause I had a role in what had happened, so I'm gonna call Caroline, she was with her. Hang on, I'll call you back."

"Bonnie has to be the answer. Even if she's not causing this, she must be able to break the spell. Just please hurry up Elena. I can't watch him suffer like this," Stefan could only stand helpless as Damon resorted to a low moan, not being able to keep quiet anymore.

Elena shivered at the other end, not needing the audible incentive to spring into action. If anything, the sound Damon elicited froze her into spot for a moment and she bit into the inside of her lips before springing into action, getting clothes out from her wardrobe as she spoke, "I'm gonna go, the sooner I can contact Caroline, the better. Stefan...just try to keep him comfortable..it'll be ok. Bonnie always comes round to help us, you know she does," Elena encouraged her grim sounding ex boyfriend, then hung up. The way her worried heart was going, she wondered for a moment if he could hear it over the phone.

Stefan could've exploded. The fact that there was nothing constructive he could do at that moment, was driving him crazy. He rubbed his own forehead in frustration and ultimately decided at least to try something. Running round the bed, he knelt on it so he could reach Damon's back easily, drawing strong, reassuring circles on it, disregarding how the rigidity of his brother's muscles alarmed and pained him. He had no idea if it was helping in any way, but he kept doing it, calling his name out sometimes, trying to catch his attention and divert him from suffering. The younger vampire didn't feel like he could tolerate the sight any longer, but a certain thought kept him grounded. Whoever did this, was gonna suffer the equivalent, or worse.

Tbc


	2. Trade

Chapter 2: Trade

Stefan looked up hopefully at Elena as she entered the room, just to be crushed the next moment by her expression. He instinctively scooted closer to his brother on the bed and smoothed down the side of Damon's hair, as if that could've been of any use.

"Caroline says she went back over to Bonnie's as she didn't pick up the phone," Elena started her update while staring at the brothers. Dread kept her from coming closer at the moment, "she jumped up through the window and found Bonnie in some sort of trance surrounded by all different coloured candles. She couldn't talk or as much as figure out what she was doing. Any time she tried to approach, Bonnie threw her back out the window. It doesn't make sense, she at least allowed Caroline close earlier."

Stefan looked up at her at a loss. "So..it's her doing this to Damon?"

"It could be," Elena admitted agonised.

"Stay with Damon, I'm going over," Stefan pulled his hands away somewhat reluctantly from his exhausted, but still audibly whimpering brother.

Elena shook her head, "I don't think that's a good idea, Stefan." She stepped closer to his previous prompting however, "if Bonnie doesn't tolerate Caroline, another vampire will not sway her mind. Let Matt handle it. I called him as I thought he'd be the only person she'd let in. He had nothing to do with last night and he's human."

Stefan looked as if he would've wanted to snap all the furniture in the room in two, but he eventually nodded at her, "all right. Just stay with him for a minute while I get some vervain."

"Vervain?" Elena looked at him uncomprehending.

"It is the only thing I can think of that could ease his pain."

"Wouldn't it cause more pain?" Elena asked worriedly.

"Momentarily. But with the right amount, then it'll knock him out and then at least he won't feel anything," Stefan hurried out the room.

"Damon?" Elena knelt by the bed, it was how she thought she could get herself into the older vampire's field of vision without moving him. He looked so much like when he was dying from Tyler's bite it scared her. She had to remind herself that as far as they could tell, this ailment was only temporary and a result of witchcraft. Only that thought upset her as well. Of course Bonnie had tried to kill Damon before, but that was at a time the witch was at odds with the whole of human bloodtaking vampirekind and not differentiating between individuals, causes and motivations, so the current situation made her angry with her best friend. The conflicting feelings confused her, so the young woman decided to concentrate on Damon instead. If she could comfort him when he had the werewolf bite, she should be able to get through to her so far unresponsive friend. She looked him up and down, trying to figure out in what way she could help. Perhaps instinctively, she reached to his lower arms, stroking and tracing them down to his knuckles, embedded in his abdomen as he curled up. Her fingers ran over his rigid muscles, reaching his belly where she doubled her palm on his, pushing and stroking lightly, letting him know she was there for support. It briefly occurred to her what teasing Damon would give her for touching his lower stomach, she even hoped he would do that right at that moment when he opened her eyes at the contact.

"A stake.." Damon starting saying instead, "inside me," his fist opened and shut, stiffly hovering a few millimetres from his skin, a little away from his bellybutton, indicating the spot.

Elena shook her head slightly, at a loss. Her hand tugged at his, trying to move them away from his belly confoundedly. She was quite sure what Damon said was not true, yet she could not stop herself from checking. It was only with some difficulty that the girl managed to pry one of his hands half an inch away and she slid hers under it, feeling his unscathed bare skin, clean and dry. "You're okay Damon. We're going to fix this," she turned to the entering Stefan trying to take her hand away, but finding that Damon had placed his over it on his abdomen and now her fingers were stuck in a vampiregrip, "Stefan. He's saying there's a stake in his stomach?"

A whole array of compassionate and agonised emotions passed each other on Stefan's face, "he must be feeling like that," he swiftly moved his syringe to his brother's arm and pushed the contents out, "I'm sorry Damon, I'm so sorry." He knelt down next to the bed as well to be eye level with the older vampire and encouraged him to look at him by holding him by the side of the neck, "when you wake up we'll have some sort of solution, we will," he promised while Damon's eyes closed with the added debilitation of the vervain.

"What it we can't, not for a long while?" Elena whispered. Damon's grip on her hand loosened, yet she kept her hand where it was, hoping to give his friend some kinda comfort.

Stefan gave her an admonishing, disregarding look, running his hand over his brother's muscles, sighing releaved. "Do you think he's comfortable enough?" Elena guessed what he was doing. She was herself searching Damon's face for signs of discomfort. He didn't really look like he was sleeping peacefully, his features were drawn and pale.

"I don't know how much," Stefan admitted, "but I'm sure it'll be better for him this way," he assured her. Still, both of them kept their eyes on Damon, finding it hard to tear themselves away from concentrating on his wellbeing. So they both jumped a bit when Elena's phone rang.

Elena pulled her hand finally away from Damon's stomach reluctantly to step over to her bag she dropped carelessly on the floor on entry and quickly glanced on the caller id before answering, "hi Matt. Could you talk to Bonnie?"

"Yes," Matt's reply sounded heavy and rather dejected, "well, she is kinda talking to me, kinda not. I'm going to go back to try and get through to her in a little while, I just wanted to let you know what you're dealing with. Elena, she's got some other magic book with her, its not the grimoire she's usually using. Some other things seemed off as well, like the pentagram was weird, but I knew for sure there was a problem when I saw the blood and the voodoo doll."

"She's using black magic.." Elena realised with some dread, and Stefan's eyes became intense and care-laden even more. "Ask him what she's doing with the voodoo doll," he said stiffly, barely managing to contain himself.

"I've seen a stick through the middle and some other randomly," Matt answered having heard the not so quiet question. Stefan winced, it all made sense completely. "This is bad, Elena," her classmate continued, "if all the supernatural wasn't lousy enough, she goes dark," Matt humphed in the low spirits he always was in these days. "But don't worry, I think I can get through to her. I started to remind her of our childhood when none of us knew about magic and it looked like she mellowed a little at the nostalgia, but then I made the mistake of mentioning Caroline and something flickered in her eyes, I don't know what, only it could have not been good cause she started stabbing the doll and ignoring me again."

"Matt, every time Bonnie stabs that thing, Damon is in excruciating pain. I don't know how much of that he can take."

"I assumed that much. Look, I'm sure it looks worse than it is. You know fine well vampires can take a lot." He tried to comfort his once girlfriend.

"Matt!" Elena reprimanded him while Stefan looked like he was going to jump on the phone.

"I know, I know, don't worry, I'm on it, I'll let you know how it goes," the young man promised.

"Why would he, or Caroline for that matter be motivated enough?" Stefan held his hand out for the phone stiffly, with an unnerving expression that suggested he'd not take no for an answer.

"I'd wish for nothing more than for all vampires, witches, werewolves and the like not to exist. But as it stands, its not only that I cannot ignore what my friends are, but its also that at the moment I also feel like I owe Damon. He saved my life at the Mikaelson ball."

"At the ball? When?" Elena frowned, a little distracted from the cause by the new information.

"On the balcony when Kol attacked me. I don't think he liked a human near his sister."

"Oh," gave Elena, realising the reason why Damon left the way he did. She looked over at the unconscious vampire guiltily, feeling the sorrow of how he was judged for things unfairly. "Matt, listen, if you don't get anywhere with Bonnie, I'll come over as well. I know she didn't want to see me, but if its vampires she's irate with at the moment, maybe she'll accept a shoulder to cry on."

"Matt," Stefan finally grabbed the phone out her hand, "what I'm giving you, any of you, is till the daybreak. Any minute later and your beloved Bonnie is dead," he spat, eyes gleaming a redish tint in fury. He disconnected and handed her back the phone with a stony face.

Elena's hand was shaking a little when she automatically pressed a button to get her phone back to the home screen image. Stefan's wore the same expression of vengeance she knew from his ruthless antiKlaus obsession and it scared her on so many levels it was hard to contemplate. She had no illusions, her ex boyfriend meant every word of what he had said and any more of Bonnie's gimmicks could make her lose both of them forever. It was only when he climbed back onto bed to take the unconscious Damon's head into his lap that his features softened somewhat and Elena dared to address him, albeit with a shaky voice, "is there anything I can do?"

Stefan gave a barely noticeable headshake and Elena hovered, hesitant, "do you want me to go?" She bit into her lip at her ex boyfriend's hard face, "I'm not sure if I could be of more use to Matt.."

It was when she almost turned and left when Stefan finally answered at length, "stay. He would want you here," he waved his hand vaguely in the direction of Damon and the bed, "stay, Elena. Please."

The young woman nodded, sitting down on the other side of Damon from Stefan. As he was holding his older brother in his lap, Elena took Damon's cold hand instead, squeezing to let him know she was with him if he was capable of sensing that. She at least hoped he would be able to tell the two people who were trying to give him comfort were those he cared about the most.

Tbc


	3. Aurora

Chapter 3: Aurora

Looking through the bedroom window, Elena had her eyes firmly on the horizon only occasionally interrupted by Damon's weak moans. This daybreak she would not welcome, this daybreak she dreaded. Was the light starting to stream through under the refuge of the deep darkness of the forest or was it just her predisposed fearful imagination? She could have no illusions though when Stefan slid out from under Damon.

"What are you intending to do?" Elena stood as well, trying to stall him at least for a little while. If Stefan and Bonnie in her current state of mind clashed forces, she was worried one of them will not come out of it alive.

"I'm just going to play a little game," the addressed vampire drawled sardonically.

"As long as its not a puzzle piece game," Damon said with a clear voice, sitting up gingerly on the bed. It was hard to trust that the movement was not going to cause gut splitting anguish around his midsection.

"Damon! Are you alright?" Elena rushed back to his side, elated in her relief. If Matt had been successful, that would've solved so many problems at once.

"I think so," Damon touched his chest and abdomen, as if vaguely still affected by the illusion of having been staked, "same as always. Dashing, gorgeous, irresistible of course."

"Damon!" Elena half heartedly scolded his jesting ways in serious situations, "where are you going?" She automatically stepped to take hold his arm in support as he stood, one hand holding the sheet in front of himself, the only quasi garment he had on when sleeping.

He leaned into her unnecessarily, playing on the remnant witch induced weakness that slowly let off from his body, "a vampire should feed off human blood for strength you know," he always took the opportunity to remind her of that truth whenever he could.

"I'll get it," Stefan offered. It was clear that Damon was well, enough to flirt at any case and him flirting with Elena was not something he was keen on seeing.

"I'm so sorry Damon," she started as Stefan blurred out the room, "I exist and people get hurt protecting me," the young woman was upset, yet a little distracted by the feel of his naked arm on hers.

"Elena, listen to me," he faced her, taking her other hand as well, "people," he emphasized, meaning himself this time, "make their own choices when protecting you. No one's forcing them. And if its a thousand stakes through me, I wouldn't change a thing.

"Your bloodbags," Stefan dropped them into Damon's arms, causing him to let go of their love, but deciding not to comment on the obvious moment his brother and Elena shared.

"A shower's in order," ripping one of the bags open with his teeth, Damon sauntered casually towards his bathroom as if nothing important of mention would've happened during the night. The brothers would never mention this time when Stefan held him desperate to give him any measure of comfort he could manage, the time that Damon treasured at some level despite his distress, reminding him of distant memories of when without a mother and a non-interested father it was his young brother who came into his room comforting him when he was ill or hurt, falling off a horse and breaking some ribs as a child. Now that he was feeling better, there would be no tender moments between them and so he had to wash away his remaining discomfort with blood and the running water. He rubbed his stomach as he stepped under the shower rosette, wondering if it meant something that waves of nausea and cramps still went through him. Bennett witches were more powerful than ever, that was part of it and there was the fact that Bonnie hardly ever left him off the hook without Elena's intervention. Which was why he was starting to think the retaliation wasn't over yet.

Just at the other side of the wall, Elena was reading Matt's text, "Bonnie promised she'll leave Damon alone for now. But she's keeping the voodoo doll."

tbc


	4. Conformance

Chapter 4: Conformance

As much as for other people's and her own sake, for the next few days Elena tried to concentrate on normality as she knew it before meeting Stefan and that included pretending that her impending graduation was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to her. Bonnie was still ignoring her at school as well and the fact that Rebekah turned up at physics class didn't do much for heightening her enthusiasm for studies. So when she was ordered to Mr. Salzman's office at lunchtime, she had to contemplate, "you aren't calling me here about my grades, are you?" She asked somewhat amused as she stepped into the room wondering. They usually tried to keep all supernatural stuff out of conversations in the school, besides if something was up he could've said it to her at their breakfast table.

"Sit down Elena," Ric said gravely and shut the door behind her, not leaving any doubt that this wasn't to do with overdue assignments.

"What happened?" She turned towards him, grabbing his arm in apprehension, "is it Damon?" She winced. Judging by Bonnie's attitude the day before when she tried to approach her witch, now ex friend, it could very well be that she had started using that doll again.

"I want you to sit down," Ric led her to the chair and Elena noticed that there was an untouched glass of water placed right at the edge of the table, as if somebody would need it pretty soon. Equally as disturbingly, Alaric had a half finished bottle of whiskey out in plain sight on the study as well. By this time, Elena was frozen with dread.

"There's no way of saying this gently," her guardian didn't let go of her hand as he faced her, leaning onto his desk, "Caroline just called. She has to stay with Damon just now and she didn't want to say this to you on the phone. Elena, Stefan killed Bonnie."

The young woman stared at him, eyes glazing up in the momentary disbelief of the shock where she did not allow herself to feel, freezing inside. It was how she stayed calm for the time being, "how do we know that for sure?"

"Caroline was there right after. She had tried to give Bonnie her blood, but it was too late. I'm so sorry Elena," Alaric frowned, hovering in between the glass of water and keeping hold of her hand. He knew he couldn't offer her real comfort, but he had to at least pretend he could, for both their sakes.

Elena held herself rigid. It registered with her that someone said something important about Bonnie and Stefan, and that the two events were related, but her mind couldn't quite process the implications. She couldn't deal with any of that right now. And then, there was something about Damon too? "Where's Caroline?" She wanted nothing more than hug her tight. It was her and the blonde only now and she would be just as upset as she herself was. They needed each other.

Ric groaned despondently. Of course Elena could not remember details of what he had told her in the horror of the situation, not to mention there was something else he wasn't looking forward to tell her. "She's helping Damon."

Caroline? Helping Damon? None of this made sense. "Why?"

"Becaused what..what Stefan did, didn't break the black magic spell.." He paused. How much could a barely adult girl take?

Elena nodded, standing up and turning purposefully. Concentrating on the practical had always been her coping mechanism and all the psychological hardship would eventually sort herself in her head, well, to the extent as it ever did. Her body didn't quite agree with her instinct, she had to consciously direct her jello legs and the ice cold, yet shivering block of ice that was her heart into the direction of the door. She didn't hear Ric anymore, not until she grabbed her shoulders, outside on the corridor. "Where are you going?"

"I have to see Damon," she whispered, not meeting his eyes. Something drew her there, how much was it for her own comfort from a vampire who always knew what she needed and how much was out of concern for his wellbeing she didn't know and it did not matter.

"I'll drive you," Alaric said without hesitation. Teaching became such a charade, his alibi for a normal life and at this moment in time he did not care whether he was fired for not turning up at his classes.

Elena had no objections. They went silently down the stairs, Alaric finding he was not being able to say anything that would've made a difference, Elena in a daze, struggling for a glimmer of hope till she remembered something, "where is she?"

"Who?" Alaric frowned. Didn't she already ask about Caroline twice already?

"The..the..." Elena didn't quite manage to utter the word "body" and neither did she feel strong enough emotionally to say Bonnie's name out loud. "She would've never drank vampire blood willingly, I know that, but maybe there's a slight chance she died with vampire blood in her system?"

Alaric hang his head sighing. He knew it was false hope as well, but he didn't want to take that away from her as well, "you'll have to ask Caroline. Rush hour's by, we'll be at the boarding house in no time."

Elena stopped, turning towards her guardian, "Ric. What if..what if Stefan's at the boarding house? What are we going to do with him?"

The teacher ignored the last part of the question. He knew what a vampire hunter should do about an out of control ripper, but hopefully that conversation could be done another day. "He won't be, I'm sure," he encouraged Elena, guiding her into the parking lot.

Tbc


	5. Structure

Chapter 5: Structure

"How is he?" Elena rushed apprehensively towards Damon's bed where Caroline was applying a warm, wet towel to his stomach. If Caroline, the constant Damon critic who could never forgive him, was tending to him, he must've been in a really bad shape.

"He can't keep anything down," Caroline frowned, "and cleaning that kinda thing up is not my strong suit," she complained, standing up and stepping away from the bed to hug Elena tight in an apologetic manner and not letting go, sobs escaping both of them at long length, knowing that no matter how much they tried, they could not comfort each other enough to relieve their abject feelings. Alaric eyed Damon, the vampire's expression telling him that Elena's unfounded hopes to find Bonnie turning were indeed unwarranted.

"Elena," Caroline pulled away a little, "there's something I need to tell you. My mom...my mom's handling the situation and she said she will be holding nobody back anymore from blaming and hunting down the culprit. And she knows it was Stefan.."

Her best friend just nodded, not objecting, but turning her attention to Damon instead. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop him," the older vampire winced and Elena wasn't sure if it was because of his apologetic words' implications or the pain he must've been in.

"I had to drive him back here," Caroline sighed, "and surely it was a good idea that it was in his car, not mine," she promptly remembered and went to get a basin from the bathroom to place beside him.

"You can't drink any blood?" Alaric sat down on his friend's bed, pointing out the gravity of Damon's situation.

"How long has it been?" Elena panicked.

"Since that night," Damon admitted reluctantly and they all knew which night that was.

"What can we do?" Elena looked questioningly at her guardian, hoping that he could provide the guidance she needed.

"I know someone back at Duke University who might be able to put me in touch with some other witches. Perhaps even Vanessa Monroe would. I'm going to try anyway," he headed outside with his phone.

Caroline looked sadly at her friend, but Elena was deep in thought, "where's the voodoo doll now? Maybe if we had it and pulled the sticks out, he'd be okay."

The blond shook her head and stepped over to the chest of drawers to lift a little black poppet held together with strong, red string, "I've already tried that," she passed the little stuffed doll into Elena's hands, who scrutinised it rather taken aback and goggle-eyed. With blue button eyes and raven feathers for hair it looked surprisingly reminiscent of Damon. The black fabric it was made of was shredding however due to the several holes on the torso, aftermarks of the wooden sticks.

"What if I sawed it together?" Elena suggested, "would that heal him?"

"Its not that you lack the skills of a seamstress," Damon narrowed his eyes at her, "because you do, but I don't see how my body feeling like its pierced through with pokers is going to help?"

Elena looked up at Caroline for her opinion, "do you think that'd be the effect instead?"

Her friend shrugged, "I'm better at needlework if you wanna give it a try?"

"Thanks Blondie, but no thanks, as much as it'd delight you," Damon rubbed his stomach, "sore enough as it is."

"I think Damon's right," Alaric walked back in, obviously had have heard the gist of the conversation, "you can't counteract magic with needlework. Vanessa was nice enough to give me a couple of names of who might have a decent witchcraft knowledge," he frowned, "although I seriously think it'll be hard to explain on the phone why some people who they don't know need to reverse a voodoo spell. One of them lives about an hour and half away, I think I'm gonna drive over and try my chances in person. Are you gonna be all right here?" He scrutinised the three. Damon was getting weaker by the minute not being able to digest blood, Elena focussed on him perhaps for the sake of not having to think about anything else and Caroline was gathering up soiled linen as if it would've been the most natural thing to do for a vampire beauty queen.

"Fine," Elena nodded, "just hurry." At Ric's exit, she took Damon's hand into hers, attracting his attention enough for him to open his eyes again. "Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you?"

"I've been starved before. And worst case scenario, I'll just look like a mummy," he assured her.

"He suggested I rub his stomach," Caroline rolled her eyes, "which of course I didn't as I wasn't sure how much of that was sexed teasing given that eyebrow thing he did with it, but I wouldn't exclude the possibility that it might actually be of benefit," she shrugged, disappearing with the washing, "I need to call my mom."

Elena looked at Damon apologetically as if his torture was a direct result of her actions, which in a way, it was. She tentatively placed a hand on his abdomen, "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

Damon shook his head weakly and placed his hand on hers, "I'm so sorry Elena."

The young woman stiffened, not wanting to deal with what brought them into the situation. Perhaps he was apologizing for not being able to stop Stefan, for turning Abby, for something else, she didn't care. They had to get him back to health before. Without saying anything at all, she gently slipped her hand under his shirt and started rubbing his tummy.

Damon snapped his head towards her, "Elena. What are you doing?"

Elena became a little flustered. She wasn't sure if she would still do the same thing if somebody else was still in the room, "I'm just trying to help till we find something else. I'll stop if its no good."

"No, no, don't stop. It could help I guess, I don't know. Lets find out." So the girl continued shyly without looking him in the eyes, "uhm okay then," drawing circles with her palm and the pads of her fingers up and down his well defined abs with smooth and gentle touches. Her touch had always been magical to the handsome vampire, although at a plane that had nothing to do with physical pain. However, he seemed to visibly relax a little drawing a long breath and closing his eyes after Elena worked his stomach for a little while.

The long haired girl looked at him expectantly, "any better?" She winced in apprehension, hating so much that his trademark cocky grin was so thoroughly washed off his features.

Damon didn't answer, nor open his eyes. Elena swallowed in concern, trying to calm herself. He must've fallen asleep due to the weakness without blood. He looked so innocent and vulnerable it was breaking her heart. Scooting closer for a more comfortable position for her task, she decided it was best if she kept her soothing circles going till somebody could come up with some other idea of how to help as she had none.

Tbc


	6. Quondam

Chapter 6: Quondam

Feeling utterly useless, Elena was holding Damon's upper body up as he dry heaved almost crying with the effort, leaning towards the side of the bed in case something did come up. His back was arching violently and Elena tried to comfort him rubbing his back now, hoping every round would be the last. Herself drying out of words that she thought could be of any help, she just held onto him, trying to comfort him with gentle strokes of his face, hair and tensed up stomach each time he lay back down for a while.

Alaric came into the room shaking his head, finding them in the exact same position he left them hours ago, "I assume it didn't work," he sighed, "I talked to three people with witch powers and they all tried to help, but I don't think either of them is as powerful as the Bennett witches and therefore not able to break the curse."

"Its all right, Ric," Damon said surprisingly calmly and collectedly, "you just need to let me go into hibernation. I won't feel the pain then."

"It's not a solution," Elena pointed out.

"It might be the only option we have," Alaric said dejectedly, "till we find the answer we're looking for."

"I'm here, baby. It's okay, I'm here," Katherine fleeted in all of a sudden. Ignoring everyone's stunned looks she sat on the bed at the other side of him as opposed to Elena and took Damon's hand in hers.

Damon managed one eyebrow rising up, "what are you talking about?"

"Why are you here?" Elena faced her, in a somewhat antagonistic manner, making a point in continuing to rub Damon's tense muscles just beneath the skin of his belly a little too harshly in her demonstration of possessiveness, making him moan painfully.

Katherine rolled her eyes, "stop that, gods, what are you doing?" She also placed a hand on his weary stomach, "you're missing the point. You can't counteract black magic with massages."

"It relaxed him if you want to know," Elena mumbled, flummoxed.

"Do you know of something that could help us Katherine?" Alaric intercepted before the lookalikes could go into a girl fight over handspace on Damon's stomach.

"If you haven't noticed yet, I'm always around to save the day," Katherine announced, "what you need is magic fingers," she winked at Damon.

"You just said yourself you can't counteract black magic with massages," Elena pointed out.

"Not my magic fingers. The right ones," Katherine pointed towards the door where a semi solid figure of a woman stood.

"Emily?" Damon frowned. The long dead witch wasn't usually good news. Struggling to sit up, he instinctively tried to pull higher on the bed and a few inches further from her.

"My relationship with Emily has never changed," Katherine assured him, "she will do as I ask."

"I am sorry Damon," the apparition said with a strange unearthly voice resembling an echo, "I'm afraid we were siding with the wrong Salvatore."

Damon shook his head and blinked, trying to clear his view, "now I'm hallucinating."

The witch floated closer, "how are you feeling?" She asked calmly, businesslike.

Ric answered instead of a very weary Damon, "as if a stake had been embedded in his stomach, never healing completely and exactly in the way of blood going down."

"Understatement," Damon mumbled. Emily raised her see-through hand reaching towards his midsection, but the vampire turned to his side where Elena was, out Emily's way, "don't touch me."

Katherine rolled her eyes, "it wouldn't kill you to trust me."

"That would be quite unusual," Damon grunted.

"What Bonnie did was not just out of order, but interfered with balance as well," Emily explained quietly, almost emotionless, but not being able to hide some level of involvement, "using blood in incantations opens up dark channels and we already knew we were slowly loosing her. Because a witch created vampires, it is our curse and responsibility to keep them in check as much as possible. Sometimes that will mean forming alliances with some for a common cause," she looked at Katherine pointingly, "and we also had our moments in the past Damon."

"Don't tell me all of a sudden you chose to remember I saved your family," Damon said, not turning away from Elena who rubbed his arm up and down encouragingly.

Emily shrugged, "I never forgot the boy Damon who rescued little rabbits before his father's hunting party could get there, taught all his brother's classmates to read and write along with him and could be found at his mother's resting place if in any doubt about his whereabouts. I didn't wish it for a person like that to become a vampire and you have to admit you did loose your way for a while."

"Let Emily help, Damon. Let me turn some things right at least," Katherine put a hand on his arm, trying to turn the stubborn Salvatore.

Elena looked at Katherine, seeking eye contact with the despairing Bulgarian vampire, "Katherine. The way you hurt him, you can't expect Damon to just trust you like that. Or anyone for that matter," she said apologetically, working on the same cause as the other dopperganger. She took Damon's face in her palm, soothing him by stroking his hair with her other hand while indicating towards Emily and Katherine with her head that they should proceed when Damon relaxed a little into the gentle touch of the love of his life.

Emily half stepped round, half floated through the bed and placed a hand on Damon's stomach so he didn't have to turn. Closing her eyes, she recited some indefinable words as the others looked on expectantly. Elena felt Damon loosen up after a few words, but it took a nailbiting few minutes before she withdrew, nodding towards Katherine, "just let him sleep the rest off now, I've restored his healing abilities," and disappeared the same way she came.

Alaric looked on a little confused, "shouldn't we wake him to eat? Wouldn't he heal better that way? And we would know if the mojo worked as well."

Katherine shook her head, "Emily said no."

Alaric turned to get some alcohol. He wasn't going to point out that the therapist was the culprit's great great grandmother as it would've upset everyone. Whiskey should take his mind off things.

Tbc


	7. Tally

Chapter 7: Tally

Too weirded out that the doppelgangers not just looked alike, but acted alike at the moment as well, Caroline decided it was time to go home. Elena and Katherine had both refused to leave the sleeping Damon's bedside, watching him intently, bit their lips every time he moaned and took turns to smooth stray hairs away from his face. It was simply all too weirding out for the blonde.

It was the vampire in Katherine who noticed the change in Damon's condition first, little movements, sped up inner processes. She shifted herself apprehensive as his body tensed into wakefulness, rising to consciousness.

Elena only noticed the change when his eyes fluttered and slitted open, but she was quick to put a hand over his uninhibited and caressed his cheek, trying a tentative smile as his gaze flicked around the room, alternating between the loves of his life. "How are you?"

Both of Tatia's descendents deflated however, hearts squeezing in dread as his hand immediately went to his stomach. He pushed his own belly and rubbed, "I'm think I'm fine," he accentuated the statement with a little nod and by sitting up, which rewarded him with a dizzy spell.

Katherine caught him, "it's okay, it is just the lack of blood," she assured the other two in a soft tone, or maybe herself. She helped him lie back on the pillows again and sped away for some blood bags.

"Is that true? Are you feeling better?" Elena fussed.

"Mmm," Damon started, realising that it wouldn't have sounded very convincing. "Yes." He tried to assure her assertionally as a result, but it was hard given the effects of several days of hunger. Besides, was he really sure himself?

Katherine arrived back with a casual smile and handed the bag to Elena. Understanding and accepting she was intruding, she leaned against the commode, letting the human open the bloodbag and smirking at the irony.

No disgust or aversion crossed Elena's face and mind when guiding the piece of plastic into Damon's hands. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before taking a mouthful, psyching himself up for the potential overwhelming nausea that immediately followed drinking over the last few days. Elena's hand slowly dropped away from the blood bag and instinctively went to his belly without her becoming consciously aware that she was doing this, she knew she would feel it clench if he felt sick.

All the pain and weakness lifted after half a bag, making Damon interested in his surroundings instead. Elena and Katherine, both looking at him affectionately. He arched a brow questioningly, his smirk appearing on his face. "So Emily's back having the hots for me," he established.

"Feeling good?" Elena still remembered asking before rolling her eyes.

Damon nodded, "just going to miss your fingers." Elena withdrew her hand as if burnt and Damon felt a bit conscience-smitten for going into joke mode so soon after everything's been happening. He grabbed her hand instead, looking into her eyes sincerely, "don't worry about me now Elena. I feel fine. All I need is a warm shower and I'll be the very same guy you can't resist ogling when I come out with only a towel," he smiled.

"A shower. What a terrific idea," Katherine remarked, her eyes trailing over the other vampire, negotiating in her mind how he'd look like naked, "over a hundred years in active and common use by households and I still can't get enough of that invention."

Damon turned his gaze towards her, not sure how to react to her whole behaviour lately. He was supposed to hate the bitch's guts, but then again she kept saving him and helping him and therefore none of his feelings were entirely appropriate. "I sure think the waterfalls the town got its name from could do the job quite well if you knew which bit of the river to go to," he chose the evasive approach. He wasn't going to thank her, was he?

"Not a bad place," Katherine agreed, "lucky me for having a certain bon vivant around to impart local knowledge. Although if I remember well the knowledge parting was a two way process," she tilted her head temptingly.

"Do I really need to hear this?" Elena stood somewhat discomfited.

"No, Elena, please stay. I don't think you should be alone tonight," Damon stood as well, moving to hold her hands again, remembering that the girl had more losses to grapple with. "Katherine was just leaving."

"Was I?" The older vampire drawled, "you know it'd be easier if I got a room in the house, rather than having to speed over from neighbouring towns when something goes wrong here.

"You don't usually go far, do you?" Elena shook herself free of Damon, taking keen interest in his maker. She had the suspicion they had misjudged Katherine. Her intentions were neither pure, nor selfless, but she had the tendency to appear when Damon really needed him. Saving his life has got to count for something, right? "I think I'm the one who needs to go," she turned back to Damon, "you two need to talk."

Damon rolled his eyes, "what could possibly be said that'd change anything?"

"It's okay Damon," Elena patted his chest encouragingly, "I'm just gonna go downstairs see if I can find any people food." Damon stepped to the chest of drawers, rummaging through for some aftershower underwear. He was just going to get on with what he was intending, alone with her or not. What did Katherine want? A thank you?

"Look, you know some vampires never learn how to control the bloodlust, no matter how long they live or how much you try. There's not much you can do, especially that Stefan's high on witch blood right now," Katherine gave leaning back in a leisurely manner.

"You were there," he established accusingly.

"There are certain things that don't need to be stopped from happening," Katherine smiled.

"So him going off the rails fits into your plan."

"He might take some tutoring from the right person," Katherine shrugged, "even if we all know temperance will never be his strongsuit."

"What are you waiting for then? Go after him," Damon finished gathering all the things he needed for his shower.

"Stefan needs cooling off. He must be on some bloodbender by now."

"You don't like bloodbenders?" Damon asked, curiosity taking the better of him over his irritation with Katherine's presence. He still hardly knew anything that would count as real about her.

She shrugged, stalking closer, "depends on the fun to be had during."

Damon raised his eyebrows, "wouldn't you be barking up the wrong tree? Cause quite frankly, Stefan and fun are two different dimensions."

"Klaus says differently," Katherine sulked, placing a hand on Damon's chest, fingering and undoing a button, "but I can see that fun is to be had here and now as well," she teased.

"Katherine." Damon blinked a little confused, grabbing at her hand strongly to yank it away. She was always ready for a little hanky panky, but he had promised himself he'll not let himself being played like that anymore. On the other hand, she had saved him more than once, so she didn't quite deserve the brush off treatment either.

"All right," Katherine rolled her eyes at him, letting go as he wanted and strolling towards the door, "well I'm glad you're okay, no thanks to me," she winked at him before intending to disappear out his life once again, "good bye Damon." Her route was cut by the swoosh of vampire speeding up, making her bump into his arm, his palm splayed out on the doorframe, making an effective obstruction. She looked up at him anticipatively, noting that he had indeed taken his shirt off in preparation for going into the bathroom. Cupping a cheek, he suddenly kissed her deeply, bruisingly, so strong, with an intensity and searing fiery passion that had shaken her to the core, psychically transporting her back to a time where the boy had shown her what real, barren and innocent love felt like. The same love and passion that always immobilized her, she was going practically limp in awe inside. After the momentary shock of recognition, she melted like butter. Wrapping her arms round his slender form she wanted to possess all of him at once, raking her fingers across his body from his firm buttocks and muscular chest to his dark, still slightly curly locks. Her response intensified their lips' union tenfold, Katherine moaning eager and willing as she gladly let him make love to her mouth.

For one more heated moment, he allowed himself a no regrets, unbridled kiss fuelled by a passion that had accumulated for decades and despaired for release, then slowly pulled away slightly, only to find her resisting it. Her body draped across him like a blanket, limbs entangled in him, she pulled him closer, her hip grinding into his no surprise erection until she could pull him closer no more. Hungrily, her tongue sought his, parting his lips, kissing him as if she could buy her absolution with it. It was her whole self she gave.

"That Katherine, is too close," he broke the kiss with a force of will, glaring at her, but he had to wince denying his manhood the carnal pleasures it craved, "remember, I still hate you bitch."

She shook her head, sighing, but disentangled herself nonresistant. "You know that I love you too, right?"

"I know," he nodded shyly, biting his bottom lip.

Katherine didn't shy away to stare into his bright blue eyes however, "its just relationships..they never bring anything but sorrow on the long run, you know?"

"Tell me about it," Damon breathed and leant forward once more to touch her forehead with his briefly in silent understanding, catching their breaths. "Good bye Katherine," he reciprocated her salutation as they swayed back and forth gently. He tilted his chin forward and their lips met slowly, tentatively, with a sense of need for exploration only typical of first, or last kisses. Reliving an almost forgotten taste of a different life and different possibilities so long lost it was almost like a different dimension, Damon kissed her with all the tenderness he could find in his heart. Then she was gone out his room like a dream.

Elena was trying to unscrew the never-before-opened, slightly out of date mayonnaise bottle for her potatoes, practically the only food items she could find usable in the fridge. If she microwaved the white potatoes a little, it could make for an acceptable salad.

"Let me help you with that," Katherine took the bottle from her hands and easily removed the top.

"Thanks," Elena looked at her somewhat befuddled, "Damon okay?"

"Functioning at a hundred percent I believe," Katherine smiled, remembering the feel of his cock rubbing against her just moments ago. She idly fingered the tabletop, kitchen roll and wooden spoons in their holder, then jumped to sit on the worktop.

"Is..is there something you wanted?" Elena eyed her warily, not really comfortable enough to tuck into her food while her lookalike was around.

"Mmmm," Katherine said just as slowly as her movements were.

"What is it?" The Gilbert girl asked somewhat frustrated. She knew Katherine as the action type of girl and she didn't understand what the hold up was this time.

"All right," Katherine suddenly flew off from where she was sitting, landing an inch before Elena, keeping nose to nose. She tilted her head a second just to make sure that the noise of the shower upstairs in Damon's quarters was indeed constant now. It was what she had been waiting for, "take this as a your warning or threat to your life if you might Elena Gilbert. You do know that Damon, for all intents and purposes, considers himself yours. Therefore, I think you should be primarily responsible for his heart's welfare. Hurt him again and you have to deal with my retaliation. Understood?"

"Well that's rich coming from you!" Elena protested, "weren't you the one who let him searching for you for one and a half centuries without bothering to tell him you were unavailable instead of in the tomb!"

"What I did wrong was underestimate how much a man named Damon Salvatore could love. All that affection is yours now. Don't forget that," Katherine wagged a threatening finger at her in farewell.

Tbc


	8. Limits

Chapter 8: Limits

"Blood and pristine linen don't mix," Damon commented as Elena appeared in his doorway with those very items.

"I just wanted to make sure you had both of these at hand," she deposited them on the bedside table.

"You don't have to," he protested, not being used to being pampered.

"I want to," Elena started to strip the bed.

"You want to be my little servant?" Damon's eyes glinted with roguishness.

"Like Emily?" The words left Elena before she could stop herself, a trace of jealousy detectable in her voice.

Damon shrugged, "it was not unusual for young masters to sleep with their servants. In fact you were thought of as strange in gentlemen's circles if you didn't gather that experience."

Elena sighed. So human Damon Salvatore was also a womanising charmer. "Was she your first?"

"Uhm, no. Why?"

"No reason," Elena finished changing the pillowcases, shaped them in presumably comfortable contours and turned to face him determined. What she had in mind had to be dealt with and what's more it was way overdue. He had been sorrowful and miserable over this long enough. "Katherine just threatened my life if I don't handle you with kid gloves."

Damon rolled his eyes, his nostrils flaring in irritance, "the damn bitch will not be able to lay a hand on you, I promise you that! We'll have her one good day..."

"You're not listening!" Elena interrupted, "I'm sure she meant her threats, but you're missing the point. She wanted me not hurt you in any way. She came back to save you and not for the first time, when she didn't have to. What I'm trying to say is that I know, I see, I can feel and experience through her actions that she loves you, no matter what else she might say at times."

A slow, conceding smile spread on Damon's face, "I know that. It is love, yes, at least in her own way."

"And how do you feel about that?" Elena asked timidly. She really didn't really want to hear about him still having feelings for the vampire.

Damon shrugged, "I consider us quits. As much as we have wronged each other in the past, it is all been paid for in one way or another. Katherine can do a good team effort when she wants to."

Elena gulped in apprehension, "that is certainly a far cry from I-hate-that-bitch's-guts," she shook her head, "and you both lied about your feelings for each other."

"Told you we make a good team," Damon winked, making the young girl's heart sink. But she had to know before making her final move, "it is possible that one day she'll come back and ask you to ride into the sunset with her."

"She already did," Damon dished casually, mixing himself a glass of blood with alcohol.

"What?" Elena jumped. She didn't like how Damon still kept quite a lot to himself.

"You sometimes accuse me of pushing you away, yet I could claim the same. And one of those times, you know right before Klaus put you in the hospital, Katherine just came by at the right time. I was all set to leave with her, we already driven about sixty miles away. But I realised she just doesn't do it for me anymore," he shrugged.

"But you don't just stop loving people you missed for one and half centuries," Elena said somewhat eristic, hoping so much he'd contradict her.

"I know I won't," Damon agreed, sounding uninterested in the subject, "don't concern yourself with Katherine too much, I can assure you, it's not her my heart has to worry about."

"Do you mean that I really hurt you a lot sometimes, don't you?" The brunette countered defensively.

"Do you really need affirmative confirmation on that?" Damon rolled his eyes.

Elena hung her head, feeling guilty, "I wish I was prudent and political enough not to hurt anyone."

"What gives you the idea I would like you all wise and political?" The vampire remarked, just as bad at accepting apologies as giving them.

The girl however, didn't let herself being shaken off, "I'm sorry Damon. Hurting you was accidental, but if it makes it all better, I will admit that I messed up in so many ways. Judged things and people wrong, made the wrong choices, tried to keep inside my fairytale world just so I don't have to see what I didn't want to see. It doesn't mean I don't..that I don't have feelings for you, it's just that life's so confusing and I don't know what to do half the time," she garbled, shaking, "I keep finding out about things that I never thought could exist, nothing is ever going the way I'd want it to be. Just when you think you did right, something bad comes from it. Why do things that shouldn't happen, happen? Life always gives me these twists and turns and I'm tired of it. I'm just tired of it. I don't know what else to do.."

"Hey, hey," Damon closed the space between them in one swift motion, taking her hands in his, "you're wonderful Elena. You're dealing with the supernatural and everything else very well under the circumstances, don't worry about that. Life is not fair, it is true and I'm sorry I can't protect you from all of that."

The young woman shook her head forcefully, tears springing up in her eyes at the comfort he offered again and without fail, "but you do protect me from everything you can and I don't even deserve it," she was crying, head bent in embarrassment towards his chest, the delayed emotions of helplessness over her situation surfacing.

Damon held her face in his hands, raising her head to make her look in his eyes, "I'm not going to pull you up about human mistakes. You were the one, the only one on this godforsaken Earth who saw the good in me and believed in me, that I could still be the man I once was. I will never forget that and I will always love you for that."

Elena searched his eyes, unsure. There was so much adoration in his eyes, it was hard not to take comfort in their warmth. "Just hold me Damon. Make me feel safe."

His expression softened from serious to tenderhearted. She would be worried about the dangers of a supernatural world, specially Stefan, but any more talking about those would not make it any easier for her, so he just kissed her forehead and slowly pulled her into the warm, comforting hug of his strong arms. With his heat, his presence, his scent wrapped around her, Elena instinctively leant into his embrace, her arms going round his waist the same way, drawing him deeper towards herself. Neither of them really knew when holding and comforting with arms turned into lips, but the kiss was a natural evolution of both of them letting their feelings show. He still fingered her hair gently with his fingertips, she clasped onto him tightly as tongues entwined and lapped each other and Damon became aware that she had quickly managed to undo his belt buckle without much difficulty. "What are you doing?" He released his hold on her and looked her in the eyes again.

"What's right."

Damon watched her with curious anticipation as she got rid of his belt, undid his flier and pulled the fresh shirt out his trousers he'd just put on minutes ago. His breathing deepened, his tongue wet his lower lip, parting slightly in want, yet he didn't dare to touch her just yet. He had to believe before acting on his feelings. If Elena wanted him out of some sort of desperation for safety or a sense of duty to him, it was all a lie. He was going to give her what she needed, whatever it was, no doubt, regardless of the reasons she visibly demanded intimacy, yet just like with asking Katherine of her feelings once when it really mattered, he had to know. He stopped her hands running on his chest under the fabric, taking them in his fists instead, "wait, stop. Elena, stop. You know I love you. I just need to know one thing. Please. You've always been honest with me, so tell me.."

"Yes Damon, yes, I love you," she looked up at him, tears threatening to fall again, "please forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt you."

It took Damon a moment to take that in. Then he breathed out, his soul leaving him for a moment and doing a waltz somewhere up in the clouds. His hand reached up to her cheek and he pulled her in for a kiss, whispering her name. It felt like sparks, intoxicating them with the energy of sweet liberation, a taste they relished like no other. Their lips never left each other's either when Damon took her round the shoulders and waist and carried her over to the bed.

He'd never been so happy in his entire life.

The End.


End file.
